HOME / PROCLAMATION! MAGAZINE / 2008 / MAY/JUNE / EDITOR'S COMMENTS

MAY / JUNE 2008
VOLUME 9, ISSUE 3

---

D E P A R T M E N T S

Ask the PASTOR

Maligning Adventists?
Dale Ratzlaff

 

At the conclusion of the presentation on Friday night at the Former Adventist Fellowship (FAF) weekend this past February, some time was given to questions. In the allotted time we were not able to answer all the questions which were submitted, so I will address a few more of them in this column.

Q. The Adventist denomination has a special message from God to the world: "The Adventist message to all the world in this generation." What's wrong with that message?

A. The "Adventist message" is not the apostolic gospel. Rather it is a confusing, unbiblical message that compromises the simple gospel of Christ and is based primarily on the early experience of the founders of the Adventist church supported by the writings of Ellen White. Read Truth About Adventist "Truth" and Cultic Doctrine for more complete answers.

Q. Isn't it unfair to Seventh-day Adventist Christians to talk about them as though they all believe the same thing?

A. First, we do not claim that all Adventists believe the same thing. We understand that there are Historical Adventists, Social Adventists, Liberal Adventists, Post Modern Adventists and Evangelical Adventists. Second, all Adventists should—although many do not—believe in the 28 Fundamental Beliefs. We evaluate Adventism by these official teachings which include the writings of Ellen White.

Q. Explain the Adventist doctrine of Satan becoming the scapegoat taking responsibility for sin.

A. This teaching had its foundation in Adventism with the vision of Hiram Edson on October 23, 1844, and teaches that when Christ completes the atonement just before the second coming, He transfers the sins of the righteous to the head of Satan who is responsible for causing the righteous to sin. Satan is then punished for those sins. Please read my article on, "What is the Meaning of the Cross" in the March/April 2002 Proclamation! for more on this topic.

Q. In Colossians 2:16 Paul says let no one judge you in food, drink, festivals, new moons or a "Sabbath day." Adventists seem to contend that "Sabbath day" in this context refers to the yearly "Sabbaths" but not to the seventh-day of the week. Which is true? How do you prove it?

A. The terms used follow a specific pattern. Yearly festivals (yearly "Sabbaths"), new moons, (monthly celebrations) Sabbath days (weekly Sabbaths). These are found in either ascending (weekly, monthly, yearly) or descending (yearly, monthly, weekly) order in the Old Testament. In Colossians 2:16, the term "festivals" stands for the seven yearly "Sabbaths" and therefore, the term "Sabbaths" must refer to the seventh-day weekly Sabbath. Compare Ezekiel. 45:17 for a parallel example. For a thorough study of this text see Sabbath in Christ, p. 185–198.

Q. There is a great controversy between Christ and Satan, but the Christian world does not understand it. Could we say that you are maligning Adventists when all they are doing is trying to preach the gospel?

A. Adventists read into the Bible much of their "great controversy" teaching which they derive from the writings of Ellen White who, in turn, took these ideas from others. According to the Bible, the cross was the demonstration of God's justice and righteousness. The Adventists' teaching that God is waiting for a representative group to perfectly keep the law to demonstrate that the law can be kept undermines the work of Christ, "Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:25, 26). The Adventist view of the great controversy is largely unbiblical. One must read "into" Scripture—often from obscure apocalyptic passages—the teachings of Ellen White to arrive at this theology. Adventists do not preach the simple Apostolic Gospel. One can read through the New Testament as I have done many times and never find the unique teachings of Adventists. They cannot be supported by contextual Bible study.

The audio files of the 2008 FAF weekend are available at: http://formeradventist.com/weekends/fafweekend2008.html

 

---